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Agriculture and Lands

BC Beef Industry Overview

Beef cattle are raised throughout British Columbia. The majority of BC producers run either a cow/calf or cow/yearling operation. There is also a small but important feedlot sector. Production practices vary throughout the province, depending on the local climate and other factors.

BC is a net importer of beef. BC produced beef accounts for less than 1/4 (~20%) of the beef consumed in BC. In part, this is because cattle are sent to Alberta feedlots to be finished before slaughter. The reason this is done is that Alberta has a readily available supply of feed grain. In total, about 45,000 head of cattle are slaughtered in BC each year.

Excerpt: BC Agriculture Farm Practices (PDF 153KB) and About the Industry



Livestock on BC Farms

Livestock on BC Farms ('000 head)
Jan. 1, 
2009
Jan. 1, 
2010
Jan. 1,
2011
Beef Bulls, One Year And Older
13.0
12.0
12.0
Beef Cows
212.0
197.0
192.0
Beef Heifers – Breeding
28.0
27.5
28.0
Beef Heifers – Slaughter
12.0
8.0
8.5
Beef Steers, One Year And Over
23.0
16.0
21.0
Beef Calves
163.9
154.0
153.0
Total Beef
457.9
414.5
414.5

Source: Statistics Canada Catalogue 23-012

PRICES RECEIVED BY BC PRODUCERS ($/cwt)

Livestock ($/cwt):
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Feeder Steers (501-600 lb) 122.48 109.52 99.94 107.60 116.40
Feeder Steers (601-700 lb) 115.47 104.10 96.62 103.09 109.36
Feeder Steers (701-800 lb) 108.43 97.90 91.93 97.02 103.55
Feeder Steers (801-900 lb) 102.64 93.36 88.31 91.60 96.80
Feeder Heifers (601-700 lb) 105.39 92.84 85.69 92.13 100.32
D1, 2 Cows 31.17 35.80 42.38 44.29 53.49
Bulls 30.22 36.53 50.53 53.31 64.66

Source: Canfax Annual Reports

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